taibou adamou maiga, mouhamed fadel ndaw and deepak …...taibou adamou maiga, mouhamed fadel ndaw...

Water and Sanitation Program: TECHNICAL PAPER

Strengthening Water Supply and Sanitation Planning and Monitoring Systems in NigerTaibou Adamou Maiga, Mouhamed Fadel Ndaw and Deepak T. Bhatia

May 2015

the Water and Sanitation Program is a multi-donor partnership, part of the World Bank group’s Water global Practice, supporting poor people in obtaining affordable, safe, and sustainable access to water and sanitation services.

Authors: Taibou Adamou Maiga, (Senior water and

sanitation specialist - WSP), Mouhamed Fadel Ndaw

(Senior Water and Sanitation Specialist - WSP), and Deepak

T. Bhatia (Lead e-government Specialist - GTIDR).

Photo credits: Taibou Adamou Maiga and Idi Habou.

AcknowledgementsThe publishers would like to thank all those who helped

produce this learning note on the use of ICT to improve

monitoring and information systems in the water and

sanitation sector in Niger, that offers sector specialists and

stakeholders access to reliable data to inform planning and

budgeting. The Ministry of Water and Sanitation (MHA) and

the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) supported the

development and implementation of two data systems,

“SISEAN” and “mWater”. The learning note outlines the key

elements required for introducing and testing the SISEAN

and mWater innovations in Niger, and recommendations

have been made for the next phase of innovation and

improved sector performance.

Special thanks to Glenn Pearce-Oroz (Principal Regional

Team Leader, GWASA) and Nestor Coffi (Niger Country

Manager - AFMNE), Amal Talbi (Senior Water and Sanitation

Specialist, GWADR) Christophe Prevost (Senior Water and

Sanitation Specialist, GWADR) and Madio Fall (Senior

Water and Sanitation Specialist, GWADR), who reviewed

the document, the Government of Niger, mainly the Ministry

of Water and Sanitation for its time and support during the

implementation of activities described in the report, the

French Development Agency (AFD) and the Swiss Agency

for Development and Cooperation (SDC) for their support in

the implementation of these innovations.

The Water and Sanitation Program is a multi-donor partnership, part of

the World Bank Group’s Water Global Practice, supporting poor people

in obtaining affordable, safe, and sustainable access to water and

sanitation services. WSP’s donors include Australia, Austria, Denmark,

Finland, France, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Luxembourg,

Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United

States, and the World Bank.

Disclaimer

The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed herein

are entirely those of the author and should not be attributed to the

World Bank or its affiliated organizations, or to members of the Board

of Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they

represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the

data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and

other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any

judgment on the part of the World Bank concerning the legal status of

any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries.

Copyright Statement

The material in this work is subject to copyright. Because The World

Bank encourages dissemination of its knowledge, this work may be

reproduced, in whole or in part, for noncommercial purposes as long

as full attribution to the work is given.

© 2015 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The

World Bank

www.wsp.org

Strengthening Water Supply and Sanitation Planning and Monitoring Systems in NigerTaibou Adamou Maiga, Mouhamed Fadel Ndaw and Deepak T. Bhatia

May 2015

iv

table of Contents

www.wsp.org v

Strengthening Water Supply and Sanitation Planning and Monitoring Systems in Niger | Table of Contents

vi

AFD Agence Française de DéveloppementBDS Business Development ServiceCNEA Commission Nationale de l’Eau et de

l’AssainissementDDH Direction Départementale de l’HydrauliqueDGRE Direction Générale des Ressources en EauDRH Direction Régionale de l’HydrauliqueDS Direction des StatistiquesFY13 Fiscal Year 2013FY14 Fiscal Year 2014GIS Geographic Information SystemGoN Government of NigerICT Information and Communication TechnologyIRH Inventaire des Ressources HydrauliquesIWRM Integrated Water Resource Management JMP Joint Monitoring ProgramLuxDev Luxembourg Development (Coopération

Luxembourgeoise)Manobi The firm recruited to support the Ministry of

Water in the pilot phase M&E Monitoring and EvaluationM2W Mobile to WebMDGs Millennium Development GoalsMHA Ministère de l’Hydraulique et de

l’AssainissementMIS Monitoring and Information SystemNGO Non-Governmental OrganizationPANGIRE Plan d’Action National de Gestion Intégré

des Ressources en Eau

abbreviations and acronyms

PCN Project Concept NotePDES Plan de Développement Economique et

SocialePEPAM Programme d’Eau Potable et

d’Assainissement du Millénaire PNAEPA Programme National d’Alimentation en Eau

Potable et d’AssainissementRGPH Recensement Général de la Population et de

l’HabitatRMSI Name of the firm which developed the MISRWSS Rural Water Supply SystemSAC/SPE Structure d’Appui Conseil du Service Public

de l’Eauensuring the Function of BDS. SDC Swiss Agency for Development and

CooperationSIGNER Système d’Information Géographique

du NigerSISEAN Système d’Information et de Suivi sur l’Eau

et l’Assainissement au NigerSPE Service Public de l’EauTA Technical AssistanceTOR Terms Of ReferenceUGE Unité de Gestion de l’EauUSD United States DollarWatSan Water and SanitationWSP Water and Sanitation ProgramWSS Water Supply and Sanitation

www.wsp.org 1

Niger has been facing many challenges in monitoring its water and sanitation sector. This learning note, which is aimed at sector specialists and stakeholders in Niger, outlines the key elements of innovations tested with the introduction of SISEAN and mWater monitoring tools to improve this situation. It provides lessons in terms of the success factors that helped consolidate these innovations as well as the obstacles and limiting factors that did not work. The learning note concludes with specific recommendations for moving forward towards a next phase of innovation and improved water and sanitation sector performance in Niger.

1.1 Main Challenges of the Niger M&E System

According to the Joint Monitoring Program1 (JMP) 2011 data, only 50 percent (8 million people) of Niger’s total population of 16.1 million have access to improved water supply, while only 22 percent (3.5 million) have access to sanitation (improved and unimproved). Thus, it will be difficult for the country to meet the (Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the water and sanitation sector because of many challenges including a high population growth rate of 3.9 percent.

Since Niger lacks a national framework for monitoring and evaluation in the water and sanitation sector, M&E activities have historically been localized and based on the capacity and interest of individual projects. At the local level, the lack of reliable data on the management of Rural Water Supply Systems (RWSS) constrains the ability of stakeholders (within communes, regions and the Central Directorate of the Ministry of Water and Sanitation) to effectively perform their roles as outlined in the Rural Water Public Service Guide2.

On the other hand, under the programming tools developed by the Government (PNAEPA and PANGIRE)3 to achieve the priority targets, the water and sanitation sector has generated large amounts of data at various levels on quantity, quality and service levels in various formats. However, there is lack of clarity on (a) actual quantity, quality and integrity of data generated by different stakeholders including governments at all levels (national and sub-national – decentralized), the private sector, NGOs, donors etc. (b) how the data generated is managed, and (c) how it can be harnessed effectively for decision-making and how it can be optimally harmonized. Consequently there have been various attempts at creating M&E systems in the past, without adequately addressing systems sustainability and harmonization aspects in a broader and holistic way. Currently existing M&E systems include: (i) the Water Resources Inventory database (IRH), (ii) the Geographic Information System of Niger (SIGNER), (iii) the hydrology database, and (iv) the water facilities data repository.

In the MDG context and in order to support effective investment planning, as well as an enhanced capacity by service providers to provide safe, reliable services, the sector needs to improve the management of its information systems and increase the stakeholder’s monitoring capacity.

1.2 The Sector’s ResponseIn response to these challenges, the Ministry of Water and Sanitation (MHA) requested WSP support to harness ICT innovations to develop an integrated monitoring and information system through SISEAN to address the issue of management and harmonization of data. Through mWater it seeks to address the quality and integrity of data needed by private operators of rural systems, which will also make it easier to regulate services.

Executive SummaryI.

1JMP: Joint Monitoring Program from World Health Organization and UNICEF.2 Rural Water Public Service Guide: This document gives the guidelines on how the water supply in rural area is governed by setting the role and the responsibilities of actors involved.

3PNAEPA: National Program for Water Supply and Sanitation – PANGIRE: National Action Plan for Water Resources Management.

2

1.2.1 Monitoring and Information System (SISEAN)The SISEAN is an integrated monitoring and information system covering water, sanitation and water resources management in Niger. It has two main components: an interactive database using mobile technology for data collection and a portal for publishing and exchange of the information. It supports the Ministry of Water and Sanitation (MHA) and communes to plan their investments, manage the overall performance of the sector, and better target underperformance and unserved populations.

The introduction of this system was conducted in three interactive phases: (i) an assessment of the existing systems and human capacity, (ii) the creation of the integrated data base and internet portal with existing data migration and updates of the indicators retained for water resources and sanitation, as well as the interfaces used for updates and transmission to an Internet portal, and (iii) the training sessions to stakeholders and the tool extension to other users.

The SISEAN addresses all issues raised in section 1.1 above, and all stakeholders welcomed the initiative. The key issue of sustainability still needs to be addressed, especially how the MHA will undertake the sustainability arrangements proposed, such as the setting up of the observatory and the recruitment/upgrading of the needed skills for updates and maintenance.

1.2.2 mWater Data SystemThis system was built to ease the management and regulation mechanism of RWSS. It was tested and implemented on 62 RWSS as a pilot project in the region of Tahoua. The pilot project involved one Regional Directorate of Hydraulics (DRH), 6 Departmental Directorate of Hydraulics (DDH), 27 communes and 18 private operators4. The operation was successfully implemented and significant improvement was noted in the project area. The operation of mWater™ has resulted in greater transparency, greater accuracy and more regularity in the monitoring of RWSS management by private operators.

Despite this success, there is a need to set up an appropriate regulation body and to plan for a clear implementation plan for the scaling up of the project. The governance arrangements, including expectations in terms of the contribution of all actors (MHA, communes and private operators managing the systems) also need to be clarified to chart the next steps and way forward.

1.3 Strategic Relevance of SISEAN and mWater for the Water and Sanitation Sector in Niger

The introduction of ICT innovations for sector-wide monitoring as well as for targeted service delivery have demonstrated the capacity to address the issue of the timely provision of sector information to help decision-making for planning and budgeting. Based on this first phase of innovation, an opportunity exists for improving sector performance by allowing: (i) the security of easily updatable data and its storage, (ii) transparency in the technical and financial management of the assets of rural systems, (iii) better communication and sector data flow among stakeholders, (iv) increased management capacity of private operators and communes in the pilot area, and (v) increased reporting capacity of the MHA on the sector status.

1.4 Lessons from Implementation of SISEAN and mWater

After 16 months of implementation, the mWater tool has demonstrated an added value to the water and sanitation sector in Niger. It is therefore necessary to consolidate this work before going to scale. During the 16-month implementation period, the regulator and communes were not able to fully play their respective roles because the regulator was not installed and the communes often lack Internet connections. Despite this limitation, operators continue to provide data and the communes are updated by the SAC-SPE who print monthly reports generated by the platform to inform the involved communes. However, there is an urgent need to complete the establishment of the sector regulation team with the necessary means to enable the sector to benefit.

4DRH : Regional Directorate of Hydraulics, DDH : Departmental Directorate of Hydraulics.

Strengthening Water Supply and Sanitation Planning and Monitoring Systems in Niger | Executive Summary

www.wsp.org 3

Strengthening Water Supply and Sanitation Planning and Monitoring Systems in Niger | Executive Summary

To consolidate and scale up the mWater data system, the Ministry of Water and Sanitation requires almost one million US dollars for the three-year implementation period involving 700 RWSS (see annex 2). The contract type with Manobi5 or other potential software developers needs to be clarified before the consolidation and the scaling up takes place.

At the first sector stakeholders meeting, participants across the sector agreed that SISEAN is a promising data system for Niger’s water and sanitation sector. In part this is a reflection that the sector needs to have a multi-sector observatory platform setup by the MHA with required means in collaboration with other sectors such as the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) and the Ministry of Agriculture.

Step-by-step training is still needed to the DDH, communes and other stakeholders (including project implementation units and sector NGOs) in order to insure the platform updates and usage. The setting of the observatory with required means, the training sessions and equipment to Direction Départementale de l’Hydraulique (DDH) and the training sessions and equipment of communes is estimated at US dollars 2.3 million (See Annex 2).

Overall, the rollout of the two monitoring systems requires an estimated financing of US dollars 3.3 million over the next three years.

1.5 Conclusion and Way ForwardThis learning note presents the two innovative products developed to monitor sector information for planning and budgeting. The usefulness of these products and the increase in the capacity of the sector actors using them has been established. However, challenges still remain for scaling up and for sustainability.

In taking the next steps of implementation, a clear action plan in consultation with donors, municipalities and private operators needs to be set up with a financing mechanism and other technical conditions to scale up the mWater data system. Regarding the SISEAN system, the setting up of the observatory with means and a clear mission statement will help the animation and best use of data for planning and budgeting.

Many more factors were identified that have contributed to the success of the operation. These learning elements provided herein will help consolidate these innovations as well as provide guidance for Niger and to interested potential client countries.

1 Manobi is the inventor of mWater.

4

BackgroundII.Niger, currently one of the world’s poorest countries, continues to face a number of challenges in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on access to sanitation and potable water, particularly in rural areas. According to the 2012 national census, the country has a population of 17.1 million which is growing at an annual rate of 3.9 percent with 83 percent of this population living in rural6 areas.

Despite the economic growth rate of 6.1 percent between 2008 and 2012 and the increase of 70 percent in the GDP per capita (from US dollars 249.2 in 2000 to US dollars 425 in 2012), Niger is still struggling through its country strategy (PDES 2012-2015) to achieve better and more measurable living conditions for the population.

It was estimated in 2011 that about 50 percent (8 million people) of Niger’s total population (16.1 million) have access to improved water supply and 22 percent (3.5 million) have access to sanitation (improved and unimproved)7. To achieve the MDGs by 2015, nearly 6 million people will need access to water supply, and nearly 6 million will require sanitation services. The number of people that should get access to water each year needs to increase by four times, and by ten times for sanitation. Even if this is achieved, some 3.5 million

people will still lack access to safe water, and 8.7 million will lack access to sanitation. This means that it will be very difficult for Niger to meet the MDGs for water and sanitation by 2015.

Niger lacks a national framework for monitoring and evaluation. As such, many M&E activities are localized and based on the capacity and interest of individual projects. The Ministry of Water and Sanitation (MHA) has created a permanent technical committee to monitor safe water and sanitation coverage rates on an annual basis, but the system is inadequate. For example, there is currently no reliable data on access to sanitation; the most recent data was those given by the Demographic Health Survey (DHS) 2012 data. Although water supply data is more recent, collation and analysis is extremely slow; it takes an average of four months for the MHA to consolidate and process data from the regions. Finally, the M&E system fails to assess the impact and benefits of the sector on women, men and children. The absence of gender disaggregated data presents a barrier to gender analysis and gender responsive programming.

At the local level, lack of reliable data on the management of Rural Water Supply Systems (RWSS) constrains the ability of sector actors (within communes, regions and

6 RGPH 2012: Recensement Général de la population et de l’habitat7 JMP update 2011

NIGER NIGER

growing at an annual rate of 3.9 percent

PoPulatIoN

83%

17%

Niger population living in rural areas. (Source: ARGPH 2012: Recensement Général de la population et de l’habitat)

Niger population living in urban areas. (Source: ARGPH 2012: Recensement Général de la population et de l’habitat)

17.1 million

$7.407 billion

(2012 National Census)

(http://data.worldbank.org/country/niger)

www.wsp.org 5

Backgroundthe Central Directorate of the Ministry of Water and Sanitation) to effectively perform their roles as outlined in the Rural Water Public Service Guide, which include regulation, assets ownership, delegation of the management and the consumer voice. As a result, it takes the Ministry of Water and Sanitation almost one year, on average, to collate data on the performance of RWSS, making it difficult to follow up on systems’ condition, limiting the effectiveness of MHA to prioritize additional assistance. Other key challenges related to sector information and monitoring systems arise from the lack of capacity, a heavy communication load and delays linked with the use of traditional paper-based communication, and limited stakeholder participation.

The water and sanitation sector policies, as contained in the Economic and Social Development Plan (PDES) of the Government of Niger, include priority programs in potable water supply, basic sanitation and Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). Under the programming tools developed by the government (PNAEPA and PANGIRE) to achieve the priority targets, the sector generated large amounts of data at various levels on quantity, quality and service levels in various formats. However there is lack of clarity on; (a) actual quantity, quality and integrity of data generated by sector players including, governments at all levels (national and sub-national – decentralized), the private sector, NGOs, donors etc.; (b) how the data generated is managed, and (c) how it can be harnessed effectively and how it can be harmonized optimally. There are also visible problems in updating and analyzing the database to be used as an effective decision support system at various levels. Critically there is a clear need to design and implement a comprehensive and integrated water and sanitation monitoring and information system to support sector planning, investment, management, monitoring and evaluation. There have been various attempts in creating

M&E systems in the past, without adequately addressing sustainability and harmonization aspects in a broader and holistic way. This failure may have several causes including lack of incentive, decision makers not using the data for planning and budgeting, and no plan to upgrade software and existing skills.

Two main levels of monitoring and evaluation are identified to be critical for decision makers in the sector in Niger: (i) the first level is the management of data generated for water supply, basic sanitation and IWRM to inform on priority targets, (ii) the second level is about the monitoring of technical and financial information in the management of water supply infrastructure in rural areas.

The Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) in its support to many countries in Africa has identified the weakness of the monitoring and information system as a common issue. In response, WSP launched in Africa in 2009 a regional initiative to support the strengthening of national sectoral information and monitoring systems. The support led to the development of an ICT-based platform on water and sanitation aimed at strengthening governance and decision-making at both central and local government levels; enhancing monitoring of technical installations; and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of resource allocation.

As a continuation of this initiative, in 2010, WSP facilitated a South-South knowledge exchange for Niger’s Ministry of Water and Sanitation staff to Senegal to learn from the PEPAM8 portal and performance monitoring system for the management of small water supply schemes. As a result, the ministry requested WSP’s assistance to strengthen its sector information and monitoring systems to better inform planning and investments for scaling up improved rural water and sanitation services.

8 PEPAM: Programme d’Eau Potable et d’Assainissement du Millénaire (Water Sanita-tion Program for the millenium) – Sénégal.

Strengthening Water Supply and Sanitation Planning and Monitoring Systems in Niger | Background

6

Harnessing ICTIII.It was in this context that WSP began to provide targeted technical assistance to support the Government of Niger to strengthen its sector information and monitoring systems.This section of the learning note gives an overview of the approach to harness the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) for sector needs. Specifically, this approach consisted of two main components as well as a capacity building effort. The first component consists in “supporting the implementation of an integrated monitoring and information system on water and sanitation” and the second component supports “the piloting of a mobile-to-web platform to monitor the performance of 60 rural water supply systems (RWSS) in the region of Tahoua”. The capacity building that accompanied these components was conducted through workshops and training events to secure buy-in from sector actors for the improved information and monitoring systems.

3.1 Supporting the Implementation of a Monitoring and Information System (MIS) on Water and Sanitation

The first step in harnessing ICT solutions consisted in designing an integrated water and sanitation Monitoring and Information System (MIS) in Niger, SISEAN, developed by the firm RMSI for the Ministry of Water and Sanitation.

The ministry set up a task force composed of the General Director of Water Resources (DGRE), the General Director of Hydraulics (DGH), the General Director of Sanitation (DGA), the Director of Studies and Planning

(DEP) and the Director of Statistics (DS) to supervise the process. In one of its key recommendations to guarantee the sustainability of SISEAN, the task force identified the need to create a multi-sectoral platform monitoring (observatory) to supervise and coordinate the monitoring process as part sustainability measures for the MIS.

To deal with the challenges of sector field data collection as indicators calculation, the integrated monitoring and sector information system aimed to provide stakeholders with necessary inputs into their decision-making processes in order to help the sustainable development of Niger’s water and sanitation sector. The system is also envisioned to provide information critical to improved service delivery and sustainability of the sector, with the overall objective of building the institutional capacities of all stakeholders, especially the state, local councils, NGOs, and development partners.

The implementation of the MIS deployment process consisted of (i) Phase 1 - assessment of the existing conditions and the design of the framework for the new database; (ii) Phase 2 - design of the new data base with the link to its interfaces used for updates and transmission to an Internet portal9 (the data base and its internet portal are created in alpha version for testing and improvements); and (iii) Phase 3 - trainings and the extension of the tool to other users.

9 An internet portal was also created for the communication (exchanges)

PHaSE 1: PHaSE 2: PHaSE 3:

Assessment of the existing conditions and the design of the framework for the new database

Design of the new data base with the link to its interfaces used for updates and transmission to an Internet portal

Trainings and the extension of the tool to other users.

www.wsp.org 7

Harnessing ICT3.1.1 Phase 1: Appraisal and Design of the

Framework for the New DatabaseThe RMSI team met with many stakeholders and potential users at central (DGRE, DEP, DS, DGA, and DGH) and decentralized levels (Niamey, Dosso and Birni N’Gaouré). The consultations between the RMSI team and the MHA task force were key elements for keeping the following results appropriate to client needs and the Niger context: • All producers and users of data and information on

water and sanitation identified;• Existing databases for managing data on water and

sanitation identified, and their operations and their characteristics in terms of accuracy, updating and completeness analyzed;

• Relevant existing data and information on water and sanitation identified and a critical analysis on format, quality and the resources used to produce them conducted;lo

• Deficiencies in data and information on major indicators on water and sanitation identified;

• A diagnosis of the situation in the collection, processing, and dissemination of data and information conducted;

•The possibility of establishing an observatory on water and sanitation analyzed;

• The frameworkof thenew information systemforwater and sanitation setup.

3.1.2 Phase 2: Establishment of the New Database and its Internet Portal

On the basis of the Phase 1 results, an Alpha version of the new database and its Internet portal are created. Taking in consideration the fact that this assignment is very much ICT-oriented, additional World Bank ICT experts provided guidance to ensure the quality control of the process and the tools developed. After the RMSI team issued the Alpha version of the data base, 15 persons10 from the Ministry of Water and Sanitation (regional directorates and central level) were trained to test and run this version over a period of two months. The quality control and testing process of this version were conducted over this two-month period through interactive face-to

face-support provided by RMSI as well as remote follow-up to improve the interface of the tool to make it more user-friendly. Phase 2 elaborates the integrated new database and interfaces (the Internet portal and mobile phone application that provide data entry functionalities).

a. The establishment of the integrated new data base: A robust and well-designed data model (integrated into a GIS-based web portal) was installed to play a vital role in the optimum utilization of the database platform such that at the end of each year, progress against the appropriate indicators can be reported to all users. A desktop application was developed to facilitate the migration of the existing data to the integrated new data base with a validation procedure to ensure integrity and the correction of the data. This was an important and critical activity to increase user confidence in the new system.

b. The web portal: A web portal was developed to serve as a system for exchange and circulation of data and information with various indicators. The integrated data base has an active interface with the portal.

c. Mobile application: Along with the web portal, a smartphone application has been developed to provide data entry functionalities of SISEAN on smartphones to improve water usage. The application is accessible through mobile phones with Android and works in both online and offline modes.

3.1.3 Phase 3: Trainings and the Extension of the Tool to Other Users

Training and the extension of the tool to Departmental Directorates of Hydraulics (DDH) and some communes took place in December 2014. Phase 3 has not yet been implemented but the objective is to train a wide audience (DDH) in the MHA and extend the use of the tool to potential users (sector project implementation unit, communes and sector partners). The training will be specific according to the profile of the user (administrator, approver, operator, simple user, etc.). When the system is fully functioning, six months of remote assistance will be provided by RMSI to the ministry.

10 8 persons from the regions (one person per region) and 7 persons from the central level.

Strengthening Water Supply and Sanitation Planning and Monitoring Systems in Niger | Harnessing ICT

8

3.2 Supporting the Mobile-to-Web Platform to Monitor the Performance of 62 RWSS

The RWSS’s management faces the challenge of ensuring sustainable water services, particularly community management systems that must adapt to the new environment of the growing number of public-private partnerships in rural areas. The ministry, with the support of development partners, has established a water services partnership, and outsourced maintenance, repair, management, and operations services.

The roles and responsibilities of all parties must also be adapted, in view of the new trends. In managing RWSS that provide public water services in the rural areas, there is an increasing need for monitoring and tracing the activities of operators, as well as a quality of reporting that will ensure enhanced transparency in the sector and thus attract investors interested in the extension and densification of water networks.

It is against this backdrop that a RWSS management modernization program was launched by the ministry, with WSP support. Manobi helped develop a mobile-to-web platform named “mWater™” for operators in the public water service sector in the Tahoua region, which was selected by the ministry to serve as a pilot zone. The platform is used by a reference sample of domestic private water operators/WSS management contracts holders in Niger to manage their networks. It is also used by the communes that grant the WSS management contracts, as well as the district, regional and central levels’ water departments to monitor the performance of the networks. In addition, an ad-hoc task force was set up by the ministry at the central level to follow up and monitor the process in coordination with the regional directorate.

3.2.1 The mWater ServicesThe range of services provided by the mWater™ platform includes:

a. Inventory services used in the project to establish/carry out a detailed mapping of the clean water networks in each RWSS and to identify each water point and each subscriber.

b. Network management monitoring services that could be accessed by a mWater™ mobile telephone

for the operator, and through a Web portal for the domestic private water operators/WSS management contracts holder.

c. Level 1 monitoring and support services for the departments in charge of regulation (ministry, DRH, and DDH).

d. Online reporting services for the independent engineering firm/independent verification agency (SAC/SPE) and communes.

3.2.2 Final Delivery and Dissemination WorkshopThe pilot operation of the mWater data system ended in November 2013. The findings of this pilot were disseminated through a national workshop organized by the ministry in December 2013. The following outcomes emerged from the pilot operation:

a) From a technical viewpoint, the mWater™ platform provides domestic private water operators/RWSS management contracts holders with a set of business services which have helped to significantly improve the quality of managing and monitoring RWSS centers. They offer functionalities that can be used to begin the scaling up phase. This scaling up should be accompanied by stronger alignment of mWater™ services with the framework of the Public Water Supply Service Guide.

b) From the viewpoint of the range of services offered by the platform:• These services are expected to be extended to

municipal authorities to strengthen their capacity to monitor the management performances of WSS centers. To do so, the automatic management system of management reports will be supplemented by the generation of advanced management monitoring dashboards for municipal authorities.

• There are also plans to integrate value addedservices for the ministry, banks interested in financing the sector, maintenance contractors in connection with the development of these activities as well as subscribers with payment services and linking with domestic private water operators/RWSS management contracts holders.

c) From an operational viewpoint, several development vectors can be introduced to support the scaling up:


www.wsp.org 9

•The introduction of a coaching system for domestic private water operators/RWSS management contracts holders to maintain top quality management for RWSS.

• Strengthening the regulation capacity of the ministry by establishing a sector supervision cockpit that specifically allows perfect control of the assets and active participation in improving the performance of domestic private water operators/RWSS management contracts holders.

• Registration by the communes of the operation of the mWater™ platform by domestic private water operators/RWSS management contracts holders.

• Financial support from the government and sector developing partners for (i) Referencing the assets of RWSS and (ii) Start-up costs for RWSS services to domestic private water operators/RWSS management contracts holders (mWater™ pack and initial training).

d) Regarding the commitment of stakeholders:•The ministry has agreed to scale up the

mWater™ experiment and integrate it into the sector’s regulation process.

• Domestic private water operators/RWSS management contracts holders said they were ready to extend the experiment to all their systems in the light of the demonstrated advantages.

• Communes showed their interest in integrating the mWater™ system with the support of the government and sector partners.

• Sector partners pledged to assist the ministry in scaling up the mWater™ initiative

•Manobi pledged to maintain the platform active and continue providing assistance to the first phase domestic private water operators/RWSS management contracts holders while waiting for the implementation of the institutional scale-up phase.

These conclusions are therefore particularly encouraging and positive for the next step and for scaling up the program as part of the consolidation of the management capacity of RWSS in Niger.


Training session on the use of mWater data system in Tahoua

10

Strategic Relevance of the Products for the Water and Sanitation SectorIV.

The two products delivered have shown capacity to address the issue of providing timely sector information to help decision-making for planning, budgeting, and management of services. Opportunity continues to exist for the improvement of sector performance by allowing: (i) security of easily updatable data and storage, (ii) transparency in the technical and financial management of assets in rural areas, (iii) better communication and sector data flow among stakeholders, (iv) increased management capacity of private operators and communes in the pilot area, and (v) increased reporting capacity of the ministry on the sector status.

4.1 Security of Easily Updatable Data and Storage

The existing databases were not able to give data evolution history and the update was not systematic. There was no digital storage of water supply schemes and most of the hard copies were lost, making the update of these schemes chaotic. Both the mWater data system and SISEAN provide mechanisms to fill this gap.

4.1.1 How mWater Ensures Data Storage and Updates

There are two important steps in processing mWater data system. The first step is the referencing of RWSS assets and the second is processing the related management information. Once the digital referencing of RWSS is done, it is secured forever in the database and is always accessible for updates in case of need. The mWater system has a special section that allows the update.

4.1.2 How SISEAN Ensures Data Storage and Updates

SISEAN allows the migration of all existing data from the old database to the new database. As mentioned in section 3.2, SISEAN is equipped with interfaces that allow the migration of existing data to ensure better storage and updates. Mobile phone application is developed to allow new data collection from the field and the updates of the

existing data. SISEAN allows friendly usage and update that ensures both data security and easy updates. These functionalities did not exist in the former databases.

4.2 Transparency in the Technical and Financial Management of RWSS

Before mWater was developed, it took more than two months for communes to have reports and good information on the financial and technical management of RWSS and this situation cultivated a climate of suspicion between private operators and mayors on the management of the assets. Typically, it takes a year for the Ministry of Water and Sanitation to have the report on the management of the RWSS. This situation affects the delivery of the regulation role dedicated to the ministry. The mWater pilot project implemented in Tahoua region addressed the issue of transparency in the management of RWSS among the actors. On the mWater platform, all users have access real time on the data. Mayors have data related to assets’ condition, the money generated, the part to be paid to the commune, and the maintenance to be carried out ahead. This information is helpful for them to plan for service extension and for equipment replacement (generators, pumps). They also have access to monthly reports generated under a standardized format by the system, allowing for the benchmarking of private operators. The Ministry of Water and Sanitation, in its regulatory role, has access to assets management information and real time monthly reports. This transparency can be used by the commune and/or by the private operator to interact with local banks for the financing of the service extension. The commune can also plan on how to make the service extension or the renewal of some materials on the basis of the money earned and/or to be earned. This chapter outlines how the tools are relevant to the water and sanitation sector in Niger, while Chapter 5 provides more details on what has been achieved so far through the use of the two tools and makes recommendations with an implementation plan for the next steps to be taken.

www.wsp.org 11

4.3 Better Communication and Data Flow among Stakeholders

Both mWater and SISEAN allow better communication and data flow among stakeholders, based on their respective profiles. When a user is provided with an access code to the data systems, then it is easy for the user to communicate with actors and access and provide data, depending on the profile attributed.

4.3.1 Communication and Data Flow in mWater Data System

The mWater system is structured in a way that allows all actors to only have access to the data of systems under their respective responsibility. Mayors have access to information and data on RWSS of the commune within their jurisdiction, private operators to the systems under their responsibility, a director at department level has access to all RWSS of the department, a director at the regional level has access to information on RWSS in the region and central level staff to all data. It is within this framework that systems data are accessible to all actors real time. Apart from the referencing of RWSS, data about RWSS management is mainly provided by private operator services on a daily/weekly basis. Text messages (SMS) can

be sent to connection holders on their water bills. All breakdowns, fixing breakdowns or other information can be shared by SMS or on the platform.

4.3.2 Communication and Data Flow in the SISEAN Data System

The SISEAN system has three main components: the data base, the portal interface and data capture interface. The portal interface allows the communication between stakeholders, while the data capture interface allows data entry with online validation process in the system.The main users of the SISEAN system are:• Directors - they have access to all the functions of

the application such as migration of data, user management, performing analysis and generating reports. The primary function of users at this level is to view and generate reports.

• Regional IT correspondents and administrator -they also have access to all the functions. Regional IT managers are responsible for the collection, processing, storage and transmission of data received from the DDH.

• Departmental directors - they are responsible forfilling up of the collection sheets.

mWater data system’s portal

Strengthening Water Supply and Sanitation Planning and Monitoring Systems in Niger | Strategic Relevance of the Products for the Water and Sanitation Sector

12

• Operator input -they are data entry operators whohave the rights to only add and edit categories of modern water points, their characteristics, ponds and points across the user interface.

• OtherusershaveaccesstoSISEANthroughitsportalthat provides a range of information on the sector.

Within this framework, all exchanges between stakeholders are administered and ensure better communication and data flow among users. This communication capacity considerably shortens data compilation time to inform planning and budgeting in the sector.

4.4 Increased Management Capacity of Private Operators and Communes in the Pilot Area

With the mWater data system in the pilot area, an increased management capacity is noted, particularly at the private operator level. The communes are still lagging behind and need the support of DDH or SAC-SPE. Private operators running many systems (more than five) have seen the usefulness of the data system because they were able to follow up their systems with less effort and resources. These operators were willing to extend the mWater service to other systems they manage out of the pilot area on condition that the Ministry of Water and Sanitation supports the RWSS’s referencing cost. The monthly

reports are automatically generated and are available in the platform in due time. The consistency of these reports depends on the data provided by the operator in the field. The more complete the data provided, the better the report. The mechanism of improving data provision in the system is set up between the operator and his field staff, between the operator and DDH, and between the operator and the portal administrator.

4.5 Increased Reporting Capacity of the MHA on the Sector Status

The SISEAN system provides the Ministry of Water and Sanitation with the capacity to generate all sector indicators per commune, per department and per region. These indicators can be aggregated nationwide in a very short time. Through SISEAN, the sector information can be manipulated to issue thematic maps indicating gaps between regions, departments and communes. This capability helps the ministry issue the annual report in a very short time compared to existing capability before the operationalization of the SISEAN system. Previously it took the MHA four to five months to issue the annual report. With SISEAN, one month is enough to issue this report when the updated data is properly entered in the system. With this tool there is no need for the ministry to hold the sector’s annual joint review meeting in May or June as it can now be held in March.

Strengthening Water Supply and Sanitation Planning and Monitoring Systems in Niger | Strategic Relevance of the Products for the Water and Sanitation Sector

Training session on the use of mobile phone for data collection in the field

www.wsp.org 13

Lessons LearnedV.This section highlights the key elements required to introduce and test the SISEAN and mWater systems in Niger. It provides learning elements in terms of the achievements of each of the systems by providing: (i) What is really new, (ii) the value added to the sector, (iii) the client view and (iv) how these tools are used. It also gives learning elements in terms of the success factors that helped consolidate these innovations as well as the obstacles and limiting factors. It concludes with specific recommendations moving forward towards the next phase of innovation and improved sector performance in Niger.

5.1 AchievementsSISEAN and mWater have helped to introduce change in the way of monitoring and circulating data in Niger’s water and sanitation sector. The mWater pilot project was implemented as a functional platform from August 2013 to November 2013 with WSP support, but the pilot project continues to work to date with the support of the Senegalese private sector firm Manobi. The pilot project, even if it does not provide a long-term perspective (two to three years), is enough to draw critical lessons to learn from.

For SISEAN, the tool has been finalized and is actually under testing with the use of real data. Consequently it did not provide enough perspective to allow for documented lessons. However the tool was designed based on learning from existing databases (IRH, Referentiel and SIGNER). Before designing SISEAN, the first step was the assessment of existing systems to find out the key issues that hampered functioning.

5.1.1 SISEAN’s AchievementsSISEAN is an integrated data system, able to capture water supply-related data, sanitation-related data, water resources-related data (surface and ground water) and to store all types of sector reports. It is provided with functionalities that allow automatic calculation of the key indicators and new data capture by using the computer interface or mobile phone interface. SISEAN is also able to generate indicators report on request.

5.1.1.1 What is New in the SISEAN Data System?• Mobilephoneinterfaceapplicationscanbeusedfordata

collection, data consultation and required updates by all implementers (projects and program units, DRH, DDH, communes etc.) if the administrator allows. This was not the case with existing data systems where data collection and updates are somehow chaotic and require more time and energy. For example the update of existing systems is done by only one person based at the regional level, who needs to travel at least once a year to collect the region’s field data to compile an update. Now with SISEAN, mobile phones are used to make the update by the commune or by the project or by the DDH. When the data is captured, a validation process is engaged with the DDH, DRH and the central level to definitely set the data in the system.

• DatacanbeconsultedeverywhereintheworldwhenInternet connection is available by more than a hundred persons at the same time. With existing data systems, data can be consulted on computers where the software is installed. This cannot allow more than one person to use sector information at the same time.

• SISEANvillagecodingisthesamewiththecodingofthe National Institute of Statistics (INS); now there is no discrepancy between INS data and MHA data.

• Allthesectordataisononeplatform.

5.1.1.2 What is the Added Value?The SISEAN data system deals with water and sanitation infrastructure mapping throughout the country, it is able to calculate access rates per commune, department and region in a timely manner. Thus the added value is:• Timelyindicatorreportgeneration-togeneratethe

indicator report for the sector it takes the ministry four to five months with existing data systems, while with SISEAN it takes only two to five working days to generate this report. The MHA can opportunely hold the sector review meeting in February or March instead of May or June.

14

• Easy access to sector data, reports and otherdocuments - with the existing data systems it is very difficult to access sector data and documentation. People still need the assistance of a third person to access data at the ministry and accessing important sector documents or reports is not always easy. With the SISEAN system, according to the access profile attributed to a user, access to information is easy and friendly and does not require being in the MHA. The only requirement is access to Internet connection regardless of the location.

• Bettercommunication

5.1.1.3 What is the Client View?At this stage it is too earlier to collect the client view because adequate perspective has not been obtained.

5.1.2 Achievements of the mWater Data SystemM-Water is a data system that allows: (i) full geo-referencing of RWSS and securing them permanently, (ii) follow-up of financial and technical management of RWSS, and (iii) generation of monthly reports on drinking water production, distribution and financial management. From the implementation of mWater since August 2013 to date enough data has been generated and critical indicators followed up, including: (i) water production index, (ii) energy index, (iii) water distribution indexes, (iv) monthly expenses and (v) cash flow.

5.1.2.1 What is New with mWater?• Whentheprivateoperatorprovidesinformationona

particular RWSS, then all parties (commune, MHA, SAC-SPE) can access this information in real time.

• TechnicalspecificationsoftheRWSS(watersource,water tank, network, energy and all equipment) are accessible to all parties involved in the management of the RWSS. This facilitates the extension of the network and the extension of service provision on an informed decision basis.

• Cellphonesandmobilephonenetworksareusedbyoperators to update the data system.

5.1.2.2 What is the Added Value with mWater?• The first added value of mWater is the security

provided on the information about the technical

specifications of the RWSS. In areas where there are no mWater services, after the infrastructure is built, a few years later it is very difficult to know where the drawings and all technical specifications are for this particular RWSS.

• Thesecondaddedvalueistherealtimeinformationand report sharing for decision-making. Before mWater it took six to 12 months for the ministry to have documented information of RWSS, hampering its regulation role. With mWater, both parties have information in real time for decision-making on breakdowns, conflict management and maintenance planning.

5.1.2.3 What is the Client View?During the final restitution workshop on mWater, participants were organized into three (3) groups in order to collect feedback from them. The groups set up represent the key actors in the institutional arrangement of the RWSS management as shown in Table 1.

All three groups (MHA, municipalities and private operators) assessed the pilot operation of mWater data system in the region of Tahoua, and were satisfied to see many issues raised during the implementation were addressed. The platform captures costs inherent to the Municipal Water and Sanitation Service (SMEA) and those relating to the Renewal and Extension Funds (FRE) and adapting the format to that of the PWSS guide. This really facilitates things for stakeholders from all three groups because it provides relevant information in a timely manner. Some outstanding issues remain, such as expectations and commitments to ensure the sustainability of RWSS.

5.1.2.3.1 Feedback from Regulation Group (MHA)(i) Issues

• Handle the issue of financial and technicalmanagement of RWSS

• Insure good governance through theinvolvement of all stakeholders in respect of statutory instruments.

(ii) Needs• On-timefinancialandtechnicaldatacollection

and transmission,

Strengthening Water Supply and Sanitation Planning and Monitoring Systems in Niger | Lessons Learned

www.wsp.org 15

• Improvementinthevisibilityofthemanagementof RWSS,

• Monitoringofassetsandactorsperformance.(iii) Expectations

• OwnershipandinternalizationofmWaterdatasystem at the MHA level (DDH, DRH and central)

• Capacity reinforcement of all actors in theextension of the mWater platform,

• TheMHAneeds the support of donors in thescaling up and the nationwide extension of mWater data system.

(iv) Commitments• Politicalwillfromthegovernmentinthesetting

up of the system,• Theelaborationofatrainingplanfortheactors

involved in the scaling up of the system.

TABLE 1: CATEGORIES OF USERS OF MWATER DATA SYSTEM

Group 1: The Ministry of Water and Sanitation represented by its regional and departmental directorates (Group of DDH and DRH)

The group of Regional Hydraulic Directorates and Departmental Hydraulic Directorates provided feedback on the “Regulatory measures and asset management”.

Group 2: Group of Mayors deliberated on the “Standardization of reports and monitoring of contracts, fee management”.

Group 3: Domestic private water operators/RWSS management contracts holders’ group provided input on the “Quality of service and contractual obligations”


5.1.2.3.2 Feedback from the Mayors’ Group (Commune)(i) Issues

• CreationofcontrolmechanismonRWSS,• Participationof all actors in the elaborationof

report on the RWSS management,(ii) Needs

• Informationonassetsconditions,• Capacity reinforcement for actors involved in

the management of RWSS,• Improvementinthewatersupplyservicequality

and control of activities implementation.(iii) Expectations and recommendations

• Improvement in the delegatedmanagement ofthe RWSS (more support is needed),

• PopularizationofthemWaterplatform.• Encourage consumer (AUSPE) to provide

feedback on the quality of service,• Reinforcethesecurityofwatermetersforbetter

money collection (FRE ; SMEA),• Bettercollaborationwithwateruserassociation

1.13.2.3.3 Feedback from Local Private Operator Managing RWSS

The platform allowed us to:(i) Issues

• Accesstowaterservicestothepopulation, including the vulnerable segment by reducing

the cost,• Ensure strong partnership between the actors

involved in the RWSS management,(ii) Needs

All our needs are already addressed by the mWater platform. It allows us to:• Obtain abroadoverviewof all components of

the RWSS under our management;• KeepproperaccountingofourRWSS• Directlymonitor the operation of our systems

generators• Automatically print invoices of subscribers/

billing by SMS(iii) Expectations and recommendations

• Communes to mention the use of mWaterplatform for monitoring information on RWSS in the contract between communes and private operators,

• Optimize the mWater utilization cost forprivate operators to allow sustainable scaling up countrywide,

• Governmentneedstofinancesystemsreferencingcosts and the mWater initiation cost,

• Use the financial data generated to facilitateaccess finance for microfinance institutions (MFI)

(iv) Commitment• Ensure the service continuity with the

deployment of mWater service,• HarmonizethemanagementofallRWSSunder

their responsibility using the mWater model,• Provide timely financial and technical data

on the management of RWSS under their responsibility.

5.1.2.4 How the System is UsedmWater is mainly used by private operators and the SAC-SPE in the pilot project implemented in Niger. Since its inception, 54 systems have participated. The private operators who participated actively have at least eight RWSS to manage. Figure 1 shows how the system has been used since August 2013 to date.

The pilot project ended in November 2013, but the firm Manobi continued to ensure the service was sustained without any contract one year after the pilot project. The graph shows that up to November 2014 private operators continued to provide updates but the trend is slowing down. Why are the private operators continuing to provide updates? Why is the trend slowing down? Do the communes and the MHA really care about the system?

The private operators use the platform to provide monthly reports to the mayor. These monthly reports are analyzed by the SAC-SPE who advice the mayor on the system’s shortcomings. For operators who manage several RWSS, it is much easier for them to provide daily information to the mWater system which generates monthly reports to be sent to the mayor. This explains why some of them continue to use the platform despite the occasional telephone network problem.


16

www.wsp.org 17

FIGURE 1: PROPORTION OF RWSS PROvIDING DATA UPDATES OvER THE TIME ON 5 INDICATORS

Some departmental water directors (DDH) follow up on how information is provided in the platform, but this follow-up is often not among the priorities because no feedback is requested from the regional and central levels. This can explain why the trend in the use of the mWater system is now slowing down. The pilot project in Tahoua was demonstrated by the Ministry of Water and Sanitation as a good example of innovation in rural water supply during the agricultural fair in the Niger capital of Niamey in March 2014 (see Figure 2).

At the commune level there is the issue of the availability of Internet connection, so mayors greatly rely on the service provided by SAC-SPE who used the platform until April 2014, and then stopped to date. The main reason for their stopping to rely on this service was the instability of the Internet connection. However, the SAC-SPE continues to get reports from private operators and any feedback requested from communes and the MHA on infrastructure conditions. The other reason highlighted by the SAC-SPE is that operators in the field do not provide information about the RWSS breakdowns.

5.2 Success FactorsIn the development and the implementation of the SISEAN and mWater systems in Niger, many factors have contributed to the success of the operations that need to be highlighted. The highlighting of these factors will help consolidate these innovations as well as provide guidance elements to interested potential client countries. These success factors can be mapped at three levels: (i) Project preparation stage, (ii) the development of the data systems (design) stage and (iii) implementation stage.

5.2.1 Success Factors at the Preparation StageDuring the project preparation stage it is critical to have strong commitment from the government and sector stakeholders. In the case of Niger, for SISEAN and mWater the government was involved in the TOR drafting and in the consultant selection. Prior to the mentioned procurement process, the client government first drew lessons learnt from the Senegal MIS through a study tour before engaging in the process of designing SISEAN and mWater for Niger.


18

FIGURE 2: USE OF ICT IN MANAGEMENT OF RURAL PIPED WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS


Functional framework and

Challenges of delegated management

Working principles of

ICT

The advantages associated with the use

of ICT

SAC/SPE(Advisory service)

AUSPE(Consumer Representative

Government

Private operator

Commune(Assets owner)

INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK• Government: Supervises and regulates the SPE

• PrivateOperator: Operates and manages the water system under contract

• Municipality: Is the SPE’s contracting authority

• AUSPE: Represents and defends consumers’ interests

• SAC/SPE: Provides advisory services to municipalities

PrOblEM• IncreasingRWSassetstogeneralizemonitoring

• DispersalofRWSthroughoutthecountrycallsfor a SPE data collection, dissemination and analysis system

• Theneedforprivateoperatorstodevelopandsubmit monthly reports on the systems they manage

•Visibilityforthegovernment(MHA)anditsagencies)initsroleforsupervisionandregulation (real time availability of technical and financial information)

•Feedbackofassetsstatusgeneratedfinancialresourcesforthecommunes

•EasyreportingandsimultaneousmanagementofmanyrWSsystemsforoperators

•EasyaccesstomonthlyreportsfromoperatorsbytheSAC-SPEforitsadvisoryrole

Convention on Devolved Water Supply

Ministry of WaterMinistry of Decentralization

LicenseOfficial recognition

Affermagecontract

Service contract

• Prerequisite - Internet Access - Mobile Network - Computer - PDA

• Withoutheavyinvestment - Open Applications - Basic Office - Current Human Resources

Simple to use, accesible to all and in secure mode

Mobile Network

ICT Operating Framework

www.wsp.org 19

5.2.2 Success Factors at the Development (Design of Tools) Stage

In the tools development process, it is essential to have the involvement and the buy-in of all sector actors at all levels. These actors need to have good incentives before engaging in the process. In the case of Niger these are: (i) Government actors -national and sub-national level civil servants, (ii) Commune actors - commune council and water and sanitation focal person and/or communities’ representatives, (iii) Sector partners - donors, NGOs and other international organizations and (iv) Private sector - mainly represented by private operators managing water supply systems.

All these stakeholders are producers and users of sector information; consequently their involvement and the consideration of their views or inputs in the design of the SISEAN and mWater have been critical in the systems’ success. The main incentive for them has been having data in real time and improved capacity to manage.

Another aspect to consider at the tools development stage is the local environment. In Niger, the Internet and cellphone communications are not very good countrywide most of the time; designing innovative tools that will use these technologies needs to take into consideration this dimension of discontinuity of service. So in the development of SISEAN and mWater, the data can be collected and secured offline for a certain period before being uploaded in the system when connection is available.

5.2.3 Success Factors at Implementation StageAt the implementation stage, the success factors have been trainings and assistance to stakeholders and close follow up by WSP, consultants and MHA. This stage was more challenging but the communication strategy set up to keep everyone updated on what is to be done has helped to achieve success.

(a) Trainings and Assistance -stakeholders were not familiar to the use of ICT for data collection and the management of sector data. As this innovation is all about ICT use for sector monitoring and information system, it was essential to address this capacity issue by training the actors involved. During implementation, the team established

that the planned training was not enough to embrace all actors, so targeted continuous assistance was arranged with the consultant and the MHA to support private operators and some sub-national staff.

(b) Close follow-up - a mechanism was set up to remind those who were not providing data when due to do so in time. Every month those who perform well are congratulated by the project team in the ministry and those not performing well are encouraged to follow the others’ good examples. Regional directorates and the central level project team took the lead to request departments and communes’ results on data to be provided. Section 5.1.2.4 shows that when one party does not play its part in the chain, then the level of using the system declines. Niger therefore needs to consolidate the results gained in the use of mWater before going to scale countrywide.

(c) In terms of communication, many conference call meetings were held between the consultant and the MHA, including regional directorates and facilitated by WSP. These meetings were organized to give feedback on intermediate reports and/or to tackle implementation technical issues.

5.3 Obstacles and Limiting FactorsThe SISEAN and mWater data systems were successfully implemented in Niger; however obstacles and limiting factors exist. If these factors are not appropriately considered, it could lead to project failure. The following elements were identified as limiting factors and mitigation measures to handle the issues have been developed under each section: (i) weak capacity of actors to use ICT in the sector; (ii) unavailability of the technology (Internet, mobile phone service provider); (iii) unavailability of incentives for data users and producers; (iv) poor leadership of government institution in charge of the sector.

5.3.1 Weak Capacity of Actors to Use ICTSISEAN and mWater data systems work with use of ICT. Where the weak capacity of the actors to use information technology is detected, appropriate measures need to be taken to address this issue. In the case of Niger, intensive training was conducted for key actors.


20

The mitigation measure is to have appropriate training modules and a continuous training plan for key users of the tools. In Niger, the government needs to design a continuous training plan and consolidate the existing experience before issuing an appropriate scaling up agenda, particularly for mWater.

5.3.2 Unavailability of the TechnologyWhen Internet and mobile phone technology are not available in the country or in a good part of the country, then these two data systems are not recommended. In such a situation it is better to look for alternative solutions for monitoring and information system.

The mitigation measures to the technology issue will be to design and open a system that allows offline works by manual data capture to record the updates. In this case all web-based functionalities will be inhibited until the technology is made available in the country. At this moment necessary measures can be taken to ensure full functionalities and necessary capacity reinforcement.

5.3.3 Unavailability of Incentives for Data Users and Producers

The mWater experience described in section 5.1.2 has shown that when data producers and users do not have incentives (good reasons to use or produce data) for a particular data system, then it will never work. Every actor involved needs to play its part in the system. Decision-makers need to request reliable data for planning and budgeting, data producers need to know that the data is used to improve sector development and data users need to value the work of the data produced. In the case of mWater, the regulator did not show how useful the tool is because it was not in place when the system was being implemented and when it was assigned the urban regulation to take over the one in the rural areas.

The best mitigation measure at the beginning will be good leadership from the central level to request from the field staff and stress the importance of this data. A rewarding mechanism can be created to recognize the outstanding efforts made by a department and commune at the end of every year.

5.3.4 Poor Leadership of the Leading InstitutionThe main objective of having a performance monitoring and information system is to help decision-making on planning, budgeting and arbitrage in service delivery. Poor leadership in the ministry in charge of water and sanitation can lead to: (i) less interest in sector coordination, (ii) poor political will to inform sector performance and (iii) non- usage of sector data for planning. Such behavior will lead to the failure of data systems, because the data will not be used to inform sector planning and budgeting, thus destroying data producers and users incentive.

The mitigation measure for poor leadership is structural. Starting at the top, the country needs to have a stable ministry with an appointed minister for at least three years to develop a good understanding of the sector. This issue is beyond this TA, it is a country systemic issue. The second mitigation measure is to show evidence to decision-makers through a study tour to learn how the service can be improved, extended and sustained using money generated from the management of existing systems.

5.4 RecommendationsThe usefulness of the tools developed is established, but the MHA still needs support: (i) for consolidating and scaling up mWater in the next steps, (ii) for training at both central and decentralized levels and (iii) finally for the ownership of these tools through relevant government institutions (sector regulation institution and an observatory institution). These outputs are complementary (mWater can feed SISEAN’s small piped systems component) and there is an opportunity to link the data generated under mWater to the SISEAN.

This section will first highlight as recommendation the key points for consolidating and scaling up mWater, sustainability and ownership of both SISEAN and mWater. It will then propose a plan for implementation of the next steps, including the indicative budget of activities. This section will also give some guidance on how the tools can help the preparation and the implementation of operations.

5.4.1 Consolidating and Scaling Up of mWaterParagraph 5.1.2 described the achievements attained through the mWater data system. It shows how the system is


www.wsp.org 21

used and what areas need to be improved and consolidated. This section will in turn provide recommendations to consolidate the achievements, revising the contract type and steps for at scale deployment.

5.4.1.1 Improving the Operational Capacity of the Newly-Appointed Regulation Body

The project implementation shows that although the regulation and control mechanism exists, it is inefficient to ensure the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) aspects and the regulation and reporting of the sector’s activities because it is not fully operational yet. The Government of Niger has dissolved the existing multi-sectoral regulation authority (ARM)11 and has asked every line ministry to handle its sector regulation. This regulation authority was regulating only the urban water supply handled by the urban assets holding company (SPEN). As a response to this dissolution the MHA has setup a new regulation body to take care of both urban and rural systems of water supply. This institution is new and does not have the means in terms of staff, equipment and financial resources to fully play its role. It is therefore very important to support the capacity building of this regulation authority. Tools like mWater are very helpful for rural areas but can also be extended to the urban areas and linked to the sector information system. Thus there is a need for the regulation authority to work closely with the directorate managing data systems. Section 5.4.3 will propose an implementation plan with an estimated cost of the activities.

5.4.1.2 Improving the Contract Type with Manobi or Potential Developer

Manobi is the firm contracted to provide the mWater service during the pilot phase. The service provided was the mWater platform managed by Manobi itself. The ministry has neither access to the coding nor to the data tables, forcing the client to always refer to Manobi who hold all data. If this was tolerated at the pilot stage, a contract for scaling up needs to be revised to allow the government of Niger to have full control of the data system. Therefore, the TOR to be issued for the scaling up needs a specific section that allows options for the benefit of the client government in terms of data access, tables’ extraction and software improvement.

To ensure the linkage between SISEAN and data generated under mWater, it is essential to develop an application to ease this linkage before the scaling up period. The two platforms can continue working in parallel with mWater providing data to SISEAN RWSS component. The new contract type will consider the linkage possibilities to allow access to mWater from SISEAN portal.

5.4.1.3 Scaling Up the mWater Data SystemDuring the dissemination workshop, the Ministry of Water and Sanitation agreed to expand the mWater data system and integrate it into the sector’s regulation process. But up to date no expansion plan has been drafted.

We recommend that the MHA consolidates the mWater results first by covering all the systems in Tahoua region through a new contract arrangement as raised in previous section 5.4.1.2 before going to scale countrywide. The first step would be to work with all private operators involved in the pilot project by extending the service to all RWSS they are presently managing. Many systems managed by these operators were not covered in the pilot phase, thus considering the remaining systems of these operators to be covered by mWater will provide an opportunity to fully work with this data system.

The ministry can give 12 to 24 months for this consolidation step, and then based on the results evaluation a step-by-step scaling up process can be engaged. Before engaging the scaling up, an expansion plan can be drafted with the identification of resources to be provided by every actor (communes, private operators and the MHA).The first step of the scaling up can integrate two additional regions based on the regions’ demands. Indicators can be set to assess the regions’ capability to deal with the process.

The business model will consider the cost-sharing by category of actor for: (i) the assets referencing (communes and/or MHA), (ii) buying the equipment (Telephone/computer) and (iii) monitoring for RWSS data (private operator). Section 5.4.3 will propose an estimated consolidation and scaling up plan.


11 ARM: Autorité de Régulation Multisectoriel.

22

5.4.2 Sustainability and OwnershipThis section discusses recommendations to ensure the sustainability and ownership of both SISEAN and mWater. It focuses on cross-cutting issues inherent in the development and maintenance of the two data systems.

5.4.2.1 The Issue of Technical Capacity at All LevelsThe SISEAN is a system that aims to support decision-making for the authorities and for the sector. It is essential to have technical capacity for handling the database, but also to analyze and use the information contained therein. In addition, the integration of the GIS component involves the mastery of complex software (ArcView type) which requires sustained training.

Training was provided but it is important for this training to remain current. RMSI will provide for train-the-trainer through a Train Operate and Transfer (TOT) process. The trainers will ensure that training is provided in the system at all levels.

In parallel, a support system must be set up to allow different users involved in the capture, processing and analysis. A corresponding computer must have access to technical assistance, even remotely, within a reasonable time.

For mWater, the trainings must be focused on private operators, commune water and sanitation technician and DDH. First trainers training activities will start at central and regional levels, and then the trainers of the regional level will be in charge of training DDH and communes. Specific training that includes mWater and accounting modules will be provided to private operators. A proposed implementation plan and cost estimate of this capacitation will be given in section 5.4.3.

5.4.2.2 Data Sharing with CommunesMunicipalities, the owner of assets, are not currently involved in the collection and analysis of data. Similarly, they do not get the resulting analyzed data. It is strongly suggested to develop a mechanism for the inclusion of communes in the proposed SISEAN.

Relatively simple actions such as the validation of the data collected and the presentation of the evolution of their territory by the DDH or DRH, based on bi-annual meetings,

would involve municipalities in the process. Eventually, municipalities should be involved in coordinating the collection of information on their territory.

In addition, the recruitment of a water-sanitation technician and his logistical equipment (telephony and motorcycle for traveling if possible) are essential for proper functioning of SISEAN and mWater. In the case of mWater, the role of the water and sanitation technician will be to check if private operators are providing daily management data of the systems they are managing. We recommend that the central government procures motorcycles and data collection telephones (one per commune) to support communes that have recruited water and sanitation technicians. The functioning (fuel and maintenance) should be provided by communes.

5.4.2.3 The Creation of a Multi-Sectoral Platform Monitoring (Observatory)

From the perspective of a mature SISEAN, including water, sanitation and IWRM, and to coordinate the exchange of data between the different parties involved (ministries, Niger Basin Authority, sector partners, other ministries, etc.), we recommend the creation of a multi-sector platform hosted by DGRE.

This platform, known as Observatory, would have not only a role of supervision and coordination of the monitoring process, but also have as its primary mandate the implementation of SISEAN.

We recommend studying the modalities overlap with the National Water and Sanitation Commission (CNEA). This commission has been in place since 2006 but was gradually abandoned for lack of resources. It should be chaired by the minister in charge of water and sanitation, and it should include about 50 members (NGOs, development partners, state, local authorities, the private sector, research institutes etc.). It is also expected that the CNEA be replaced by units of water management (UGE), and this change could come in handy for SISEAN.

5.4.2.4 Financing SISEAN and mWaterWe recommend the pooling of human and financial resources of the MHA and its partners dedicated to the IRH, the Repository and SIGNER to ensure the functioning of SISEAN and the Observatory.


www.wsp.org 23

Either donors will be able to finance the SISEAN directly (through the funding provided by the central level, through direct support to the observatory) or in the field by funding the focal points of their intervention areas for the collection data at municipal level (purchase and maintenance of motorcycles, supported focal points).

In the case of mWater, we recommend that the assets referencing be financed by government either directly or by donors and communes, while equipment (telephone pack) and the monitoring should be financed by private operators. This arrangement was also proposed during the final workshop of the mWater pilot project.

5.4.2.5 Implementation and Unveiling of SISEANThe information in SISEAN will not only benefit the MHA, in its decentralized departments and municipalities, but also the entire sector (NGOs, consultancies, the private sector, etc.). Therefore, the SISEAN must be accessible online. Initially, this access should be restricted to the consultation (without right to change), but it should be considered that these actors may submit their data, including the construction of new works online. This information must then be validated by the DS before being integrated into the system.

The unveiling of SISEAN must also be included in the calendar of the sector to introduce and ensure the adoption by all concerned. A timetable for its implementation must be developed to mobilize staff at MHA concerned and start their training on the system.

5.4.3 Implementation Plan with Cost EstimatesThis section provides the prioritization of actions recommended in sections 5.4.1 and 5.4.2 over a three-year period. It also provides the cost estimate of the identified activities.

5.4.3.1 Implementation Plan Timeline of the Recommendation

The timeline proposed is three years to involve both regions and communes in the process of SISEAN. In the first two years, the central level will consolidate results with only the DDH involved in the monitoring and

data collection. After an evaluation it will be opened to communes’ water and sanitation technicians, with the required equipment, assuming that water and sanitation technicians will be available in all communes or in the majority of communes. It will also be opened to other sector stakeholders managing projects and programs to collect data feeding the SISEAN system and monitor their activities.

Regarding mWater, the first two years will also be dedicated to consolidating the results by extending the service to all RWSS in the Tahoua region. In the pilot phase, 62 RWSS were involved, but for the consolidation 176 additional RWSS will be involved. In the third year the mWater system will be scaled up to the entire regions of Maradi and Dosso, assuming that the two regions are the most disposed to meeting the pre-requisite to welcome the system. The total RWSS to be embarked in mWater for the two regions is 460. The detailed timeline of the recommendation implementation plan is provided in Annex 1. Remaining systems in the Zinder, Tillabery, Diffa and Agadez regions will be progressively integrated to mWater after the third year of implementation.

5.4.3.2 Cost Estimate of the RecommendationsThe cost of the implementation plan is estimated at US dollars 3.2 million to be disbursed during three-year implementation period. This estimate does not include staff cost. The consolidation cost of mWater is estimated to US dollars 971,648 while the ownership and sustainability of the two tools are estimated at US dollars 2,150,040. The details of this estimate are given in the table of Annex 2.

5.4.4 How SISEAN can Help the Preparation and Implementation of Operations

SISEAN provides data on existing water points; it helps calculate the access rates (access, breakdowns) and gives good geographical coverage of water points. This information is useful in the definition of new water and sanitation operations to close or reduce the gap. It provides useful information to draft the background section of the new projects.


24

As SISEAN also provides information about water resources (ground and surface water), the tool becomes the cornerstone to irrigation operations in the assessment of the availability of water for irrigation before the design of the projects. This is important to mention especially for Niger where the primary factor that leads the choice of irrigation projects is the availability of potential irrigable land, not the quantity of available water over the time for sustainable irrigation of this land.

5.4.4.1 How SISEAN can help the Implementation of Operations

As previously mentioned, SISEAN allows project implementation units to provide information to the system. By doing so, projects can easily identify their impact in the project area. Before feeding the system, a baseline is issued because the tool allows it; and then progress can be monitored on a yearly basis to assess the impact. The data monitored can be used for the end-project report or mid-term review report to ease decision-making.


www.wsp.org 25

The government of Niger has learned a lot about the beneficial potential of mWater and the SISEAN for the country’s water and sanitation sector. A clear action plan in consultation with donors, municipalities and private operators needs to be set up with its financing mechanism and other technical conditions for mWater. The Ministry of Water and Sanitation can opportunely use the regulation authority set up in 2014 within the ministry to conduct this process with indicators to achieve. The indicative implementation plan and cost estimate provided in the previous section and annexes can be improved and used by the MHA.

Way Forward and Next StepsVI.Regarding the SISEAN, the process is ongoing, but there are steps to be taken before and after the end of the project. The setting up of the Observatory mentioned in section 5.4.2.3 with the means and mission objective will help the animation and the best use of data for planning and budgeting. Therefore, the first step to be undertaken assuming that all technical materials are in place, will be to set up the Observatory with a clear mandate.

26

ConclusionVII.The two products developed under this project have helped Niger’s Ministry of Water and Sanitation and the sector partners to own strong software to monitor sector information. The usefulness of the products and the increase of capacity of the sector actors now using them has already been established. But challenges still remain for the scaling up and for sustainability. The government’s commitment to scale up the mWater data system and to

ensure the sustainability of both the SISEAN and mWater data systems is encouraging and positive, allowing support from other development partners in the sector. This commitment therefore needs to be translated by establishing all recommended arrangements in the previous section, especially the regulation body, the Observatory and the recruitment/upgrading of the needed skills.

www.wsp.org 27

Conclusion

annex 1: recommendations implementation Plan

Strengthening Water Supply and Sanitation Planning and Monitoring Systems in Niger | Annex 1: Recommendations Implementation Plan

28

annex 2: recommendation Cost estimate

Strengthening Water Supply and Sanitation Planning and Monitoring Systems in Niger | Annex 2: Recommendation Cost Estimate

May 2015

Water and Sanitation Program

The World Bank187, rue des dallols - District Niamey 1, Niger Office

Tel. (227) 2073 5929 Fax. (227) 2075 5506E-mail: [email protected] sites: www.worldbank.org/waterwww.wsp.org

design and Layout by eric Lugaka

taibou adamou maiga, mouhamed fadel ndaw and deepak …...taibou adamou maiga, mouhamed fadel ndaw...

Documents